President Obama and Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton led tributes to Ambassador Richard Holbrooke at an extraordinary gathering of American and global VIPs Friday, lauding him as a giant of American diplomacy who left his mark on history not only as a peace negotiator but as a humanitarian who helped save countless lives in conflict-wracked nations.

The top Pentagon job overseeing the secret special operations war on terrorist groups has been offered to former U.S. counterterrorism ambassador Michael Sheehan, according to two senior U.S. officials.